Questions
to Ask Your Doctor
When
you are considering a prenatal test, find
out what kind of experience your doctor
has in performing the test and in interpreting
the results. Below are some of the suggested questions. |
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Who performs
the ultrasound, amniocentesis, CVS testing? |
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Who reads the results
and how much experience do they have in interpreting
them? |
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How many amnios, CVS,
and ultrasound has this doctor
performed? |
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Amniocentesis, ultrasound,
and CVS test required special training and much
experience to perform well. Do not be afraid
or embarrassed to seek a second opinion about
the need to perform a test or about the interpretation
of results. Often two doctors will read
the same test results and recommend very different
treatment, depending on their approach, experience,
and training. |
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How much ultrasound
radiation is used for a scan? |
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How much is used for a
Doppler? |
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Different machines use different
amounts of ultrasound, and some labs don’t
even measure how much is used. Since the long-term
effects of such exposure on mother and baby have
yet to be determined, it is best to use as low
a dose of the ultrasound radiation as possible. |
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What will you learn from
this test? |
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How will that help you
follow my pregnancy? |
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Is the blood test to measure
iron levels or is it MSAFP? |
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Is the ultrasound being
done to measure the growth of the baby or to check
for fetal
anomalies? |
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Do you have reason to
be concerned about the baby’s growth or
this a routine test in
this practice? |
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Which anomalies are you
looking for? |
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What can be done if such
anomalies are discovered? |
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How accurate are the results? |
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What alternatives are
there to this test? |
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Some tests, such as ultrasound
or blood tests, have multiple purposes. Find
out what your doctor wants to learn from the
test. Accuracy of results often varies from
practice to practice and from lab to lab.
Remember that you have the right to refuse
any test whether or not informed consent is
required.
Ask for the names of other people who have
undergone the test to find out from them what
it was like.
Each couple has different reasons for choosing
certain test, and different women find different
things painful or uncomfortable. However, if
you speak with several couples, you will get
some idea of the range of physical and emotional
responses to the test itself and the waiting
time until the results are available. |
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Questions
to Ask Yourself
Prepare yourself in advance with some of the below questions, prior to going for your prenatal tests, to benefit the most out of your visit. |
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What do I want to know
about the baby? |
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Can this be answered by
a test? Be specific. |
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Are there any hereditary
conditions which run in our families which can
be tested? |
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Women often have ultrasound
or amniocentesis in order to find out that “
everything is okay “ with the baby. Western
culture trains us to want assurances of perfection
and predictability which are not possible to achieve.
No test or combination of tests will tell you
that “ everything is okay.” Certain
tests can you that some things are normal. It
is important to have a clear sense of what you
want to know in order to use the tests most effectively
and wisely. |
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What are the risks
and benefits of this tests for me? |
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Risks and benefits for
the baby? |
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What other options are
there to this test? |
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It is up to you to decide
the significance of the risks, benefits, and side
effects of each test. |
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What will I do with
the results? |
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Some couples want information
about the baby in order to prepare themselves
and learn as much as possible about a particular
condition before the baby is born. Others must
decide whether to continue the pregnancy if
certain conditions exist. Some expectant parents
feel they could never handle raising a deformed
or handicapped baby. Again, it is important
to be specific about what you mean. Is a cleft
lip deformity enough to abort? What about club
foot Testing can only tell you that a condition
exists, not the extent. A baby with spina bifida
may be severely and multiply handicapped, or
it may not be. A baby with Down’s syndrome
may be mildly retarded and able to function
as an adult, or may be profoundly retarded with
multiple handicaps.
There is no way to know these things before
the birth. It may be helpful to contact parents
of children with these conditions to learn about
the day to day joys and difficulties of raising
children with the conditions you are most concerned
about.
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